Wrench or vise.



J. O. BURGESS.

WRENCH 0R VISE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 11, 1913.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914.

[NVEN TOR:

I A T TORNE Y.

AWITNESSES:

UNI STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES C. BURGESS, 0F INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO ALBERT Gr. RICE,OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

WRENCH OR VISE.

LQQAACQQ.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 21, 1914:.

Application filed August 11, 1913. Serial No. 784,100.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES C. BURGESS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county ofMarion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful rench orVise, of which the following is a specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings and to the letters and figures of referencemarked thereon.

This invent-ion relates to a combination hand tool or implement that isdesigned to be used either as an adjustable wrench or a hand vise, theinvention having reference more particularly to the various partsthereof that afiect the adjustability and operation of the principalelements of the tool or implement.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved combination tool orimple ment that shall be so constructed as to be adaptable forperforming the functions either of a wrench or a hand vise.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench or vise that maybe conveniently used for various purposes and designed so as to besimple and inexpensive, which tool shall be adapted to be tightlyconnected to relatively small nuts and capable of turning the nutswithout spreading and slipping oif of them in various relativepositions.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the inventionconsists in a combination too-l comprising jaws, improved means forquickly adjusting the jaws to approximate degrees, means for adjustingthe jaws to a relatively finer degree, and means for forcibly moving thejaws each toward the other.

The invention consists also in the parts and combination and arrangementof parts as hereinafter particularly described and further defined inthe accompanying claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a plan or side view of theimproved tool or implement; Fig. 2, a top view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3, asection on the line A A in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a section approximately onthe line B B in Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 a plan or side View of the tool orimplement slightly modified.

Similar reference characters in the various figures of the drawingsindicate corresponding elements or features of construction hereinreferred to.

As preferably constructed, the invention compr ses two straight wrenchbars, 1 and 2, having jaw portions 3 and at on one end thereofrespectively, the jaw portions having lateral extensions 5 and 6 thereonrespectively, so that the jaw portions are broader than the bars thatcomprise the lever portions of the wrench or the main bars of the vise.The jaw extensions permit a nut to be engaged when close to a relativelylarge article while the bars 1 and 2 may be moved at a distance from thearticle in the hand of the operator. Preferably the opposite endportions 7 and 8 are suitably offset so as to stand apart relativelyfarther than the jaw portions and are provided with a connecting pivot9, the pivot preferably being directly connected to a hinging ear 10,provided with a shank 11 that is fixedly secured to the offset portionof one of the bars, a jaw 12 embracing the ear and being connected-tothe pivot, the jaw having an ad justing screw 13 thereon that extendsthrough and engages an adjusting nut which comprises a cylindrical mainportion 14: that is rotatably arranged 0r swiveled in a suitable openingin the ofi'set portion of the companion wrench bar, the wrench barsbeing oppositely arranged, and the nut has a head 15 on one end thereofengaging one side of the offset portion, and a collar 16 on the oppositeend thereof engaging the opposite side of the oifset portion, so thatwhen the nut is rotated on the screw in one direction the offsetportions are forced apart, and when rotated in the opposite directionare forced each toward the other.

The extension 5 of the jaw portion 3 has an aperture 17 through which anadjusting screw 18 extends, the screw having a head 19 thereon that isnormally in contact with the jaw portion and its extensions at the outerend of the aperture, the screw being screwed into a suitable hole in theopposite extension 6, for closely adjusting the jaw portions eachrelatively to the other. A yoke is provided which permits a limitedamount of movement of the bars each relatively to the other andcomprises two plates 20 and 21 fixedly secured at one end to oppositesides of the bar, and adjacent to the jaw portion thereof, a cross-bar22 being fixedly connected to the opposite ends of the plates andextending opposite to the outer side of the companion bar 2, the latterextending between the two plates of the yoke, and the cross-bar has aconvex face 23 presented toward the outer side of bar 2.

In order to quickly adjust the wrench to different sizes of nuts orwork, a suitably tapered wedge 24 is provided which is fitted so as toslide along the outer side of the bar 2 and through the yoke, the outerrelatively inclined face of the wedge preferably having small andclosely graduated transverse serrations 25 for engaging the convex face23 so as to prevent accidental movement of the wedge, the larger portionof the wedge being provided with a suitable retaining guide strapcomprising a cross-bar 26 slidingly arranged on the inner side of thebar 2 and having side plates 27 and 28 extending to opposite sidesrespectively of the wedge to which they are fixedly secured by means ofa rivet 29 which is located near to, but at some distance from thelarger end of the wedge so that a heel 30 is provided for preventing thewedge from tilting away from the bar 2 when retracted, the outer side ofthe larger end portion of the wedge being provided with a thumb-knob 81for easily shifting the wedge, it being clear that when the smaller endof the wedge is pushed through the yoke the two bars must move eachtoward each other, and the bars obviously may be moved apart when thewedge is retracted. The inner side of the bar 2 is provided with a stopdevice 32 to be engaged by the guide strap for limiting the movement ofthe wedge and preventing its withdrawal from the yoke. In order toautomatically force the bars apart a plate spring 33 is provided whichis secured at one end to the inner side of the bar and in proximity tothe offset portion thereof, by means of a suitable device such as ascrew 34, the opposite end portion of the spring extending between theplates 20 and 21 of the yoke and into contact with the inner side of thecompanion bar 2, so that the spring may be guided by the yoke.

In some cases when it is desired to simplify the construction of thetool so as to serve only as a wrench, the bars 1 and 2 have inwardlycurved port-ions 35 and 36 respectively that are suitably fittedtogether and connected by means of a pivot 37.

In practical use as a wrench the jaw portions may be adjusted by turningthe screw 18 and may be drawn thereby closely to the nut or the articleembraced if desired, and the wedge may be then advanced; or in case theadjustment required is considerable so that the jaws must be movedcloser together, they may be moved together by hand to the requiredextent, the screw 18 passing through the aperture 17 and the wedge maybe advanced and hold the jaws in adjusted position. If, however, it isrequired to draw the jaws slightly closer this may be acomplished bymeans of the screw 18. The tool obviously may be used either as a sidewrench or as a socket wrench. If used on a relatively small hexagonalnut and the jaw portions adjusted thereto do not happen to be inparallel arrangement, they may be readjusted by means of the screw 13and the adjusting nut thereon to bring the jaws into parallelarrangement, and when the tool is used as a hand vise similar resultsare secured in a like manner, and the jaws are forced tightly to thework grasped by them, by means of the screw 13 and adjusting nutthereon, the yoke serving as a lever fulcrum, and after the work istightly held in the j a\ 's the screw 18 may be drawn up tightly so asto serve as a reinforcement and firmly hold the jaws to the work.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is- 1. Awrench or vise including two oppositely arranged wrench bars having eacha jaw portion on one end thereof, pivotal means connecting the oppositeends of the two bars together, a wedge slidingly arranged on the outerside of one of the bars and having a strap fixed relatively near to butat a distance from the larger end thereof, the strap extending about thebar in sliding contact therewith, and a yoke ex tending about the wedgeand secured to the remaining one of the wrench bars.

2. A wrench or vise including two bars pivotally connected together atone end, each bar having a jaw portion that has a lateral extensionthereon, one of the extensions having an aperture therein, an adjustingscrew extending through the aperture and having a head normally seatedon the extension at the outer end of the aperture, the screw beingscrewed into the remaining jaw extension, a yoke extending about one ofthe bars and fixedly secured to the remaining bar, and a wedge movablebetween the yoke and the bar about which the yoke extends, the wedgebeing movable also along one side of the screw.

8. A wrench or vise. including a wrench bar having a aw portion on oneend thereof, two plates fixed to opposite sides respectively of the barand a cross-bar fixed to the plates and having a convex face presentedopposite to the wrench bar, a plate spring secured to the wrench bar andextending between the plates, a second wrench bar pivotally connected tothe opposite end of the first described wrench bar and extending between the convex face and the spring and having a jaw portion thereonopposite to the first-described jaw portion, and a wedge slidinglyguided on the second wrench bar between the bar and the convex face ofthe cross bar.

4. In a wrench or vise, the combination of a wrench bar having a jawportion on one end provided with a lateral extension having an aperture,said bar having an opposite offset end portion, a nut rotatably mountedin the offset portion and in contact with opposite sides of saidportion, a yoke fixedly secured to said bar between said jaw portion andsaid offset portion and provided with a cross-bar having a convex facepresented toward said wrench bar, a plate spring secured to said wrenchbar in proximity to said offset portion and extending opposite to saidconvex face, a companion wrench bar having a jaw portion on one endprovided with a lateral extension, said bar extending between saidspring and said convex face and having an opposite offset end portionprovided with a pivot, an adjusting screw connected to said pivot andextending into said nut in engagement therewith, an adjusting screw inthe said aperture having a head in contact with the outer side of theextension, the screw being screwed into the opposite extension, a wedgemovable on said companion bar between it and said convex face, the outerside of said wedge being serrated, the larger end of said wedge having athumb-knob on the outer side thereof, a guide strap slidingly embracingsaid companion bar and fixedly secured to said wedge at a distance frombut relatively near to the larger end thereof, and a stop device fixedon said companion bar in proximity to the offset portion thereof to stopsaid wedge.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES C. BURGESS.

Witnesses:

E. T. SILvIUs, M. E. SPARROW.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

